A WOMAN mauled by a dog she had known since it was a puppy says she faces years of surgery after “terrifying” attack left her with devastating injuries.

Samantha Redding, 20, had been around the Spanish mastiff crossed with a bear-headed Akita, which belonged to her friend’s father, since it was young and says she had never known it to be aggressive.

‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’Samantha Redding was attacked by a dog she had known since it was a puppy Credit: Jam Press ‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’She says her face looked like something from a horror movie Credit: Jam Press

But during a brief visit to the house in January, the huge dog suddenly latched onto her face.

Samantha remembers little of the beyond seeing the animal coming towards her, hearing it growl and feeling excruciating pain.

“I went to my friend’s dad’s house to get her but she’d already left to meet me at my house,” Samantha, from Falkirk, Scotland said.

“I was only in the house for about 10 minutes and I was getting ready to leave.

‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’Samantha says she wishes she could look ‘normal’ again Credit: Jam Press ‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’Samantha’s next surgery will involve debulking and reshaping her lip Credit: Jam Press

“I went to pick up my bag and the dog latched on to my face.

“The dog had never been nippy to me before.

“I actually can’t remember much from then except the dog growling and then the pain.

“Then I heard everyone shouting.

“I can’t remember how the dog got off.

“All I can remember is turning round after and seeing my face in the mirror and thinking my life was over.

“The dog was huge, taller than me when it stands on back legs and probably weighs around the same as me, but it had never been nippy to me before.”

Samantha managed to flee the house while covering her bloodied face before being taken to hospital.

The Tesco worker said: “In the car, I phoned my mum and dad who thought I was joking.

“I Facetimed them and all they said was they’d meet me at A&E.

“I wasn’t feeling much pain but think that was the shock.

“My mum burst into tears when she saw me

“Thats when I realised how bad it was.

“My face looked like something from a horror movie.

“I looked like a zombie and honestly I couldn’t see it getting better.

“There’s times I wish the dog had killed me so I wouldn’t have to go through all of the operations.

‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’Samantha spent five weeks in hospital and has had four operations Credit: Jam Press ‘A dog I’d known for years ripped my face apart in seconds – I just want to look normal again’Samantha is raising money to help fund further treatment Credit: Jam Press

“I thought I would look like a monster for the rest of my life.”

The following morning, Samantha was transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in , where specialist maxillofacial surgeons could treat her complex injuries.

Doctors took her into theatre to clean the wounds and assess the extent of the damage.

Samantha claims her surgeon told her the attack was extremely serious and that he had rarely seen injuries as severe.

She was warned she would need three or four operations before doctors could even begin reconstructive surgery.

She said: “This was terrifying.

“I was in constant pain, unable to eat except through a tube and my was obviously taking a dip.

“I was told my next surgery would be a week later as I needed lots of IV antibiotics before.

“They were going to have to take a graft from my arm to put on my face and a graft from my leg to cover the one on my arm.

“They were also taking veins from my arm to give me a blood flow to the new patch on my face.

“I would need a tracheotomy as the operation would be almost 10 hours and I would be in the ICU after.”

Samantha spent five weeks in hospital and has now undergone four operations.

She faces another next week and potentially at least two more after that.

Because doctors need to protect the blood supply to the graft, the procedures are being carried out around eight weeks apart.

Samantha has been left with extensive scarring to her face and neck, as well as scars on her arm and leg from the grafts and another on her throat from the tracheotomy.

Nerve damage has also affected her gums and teeth, which will require further treatment.

Her next operation will involve debulking and reshaping her lip.

But Samantha says the physical scars are only part of the devastating impact the attack has had on her life.

She said: “My whole life has been affected by those ten minutes.

“I didn’t seen my little brothers for five weeks as I didn’t want to scare them.

“All my family were amazing but I could tell they were terrified as well.

“ have been amazing in supporting me through this.

“They gave me a career break which gives my a full year off so I know my job will be there when I’m ready to go back.

“I think the hardest part is getting through all the surgeries.

“I get used to how I look and get a little confidence back and then it changes again after every surgery.”

Samantha is now receiving regular therapy after struggling with anxiety and since the attack.

She added: “I get flashbacks of the dog’s face jumping up at me.

“I’ll always remember how hard life was in the hospital.

“When I look in the mirror, I hate it.

“As of now, all of the lacerations have been stitched and my skin graft is healing nicely.

“I still don’t have a lip.

“I just need to trust the process even though it can feel like it’s going nowhere, I can see the difference from January to now.

“I wish I could look normal again and just hope that the doctors and specialists can help me feel like myself again.”

Samantha says the dog is now being held in police custody at a kennel in Dundee.

She is raising money to help fund further treatment once her current round of operations is complete, particularly for the scars left by the attack.

To donate, visit Samantha’s GoFundMe page here